Wild extends Cal Clutterbuck's contract, re-signed three years

The Wild avoided restricted free agency this summer with heavy hitter Cal Clutterbuck by extending the winger's contract this morning. Clutterbuck signed a three-year, $4.2 million contract ($1.4 million cap hit).

“Cal is an intense competitor who has quickly become a fan favorite with the Wild,” GM Chuck Fletcher said. “We look forward to watching his development for years to come.”

Clutterbuck, 22 (11/18/87), set the NHL’s single-season hits mark in 2008-09 with 356, and again leads the NHL this season with 252 hits. Clutterbuck has recorded a career-high 12 goals in 54 games this season, while also tying his career-high with 18 points. The 5-foot-11, 213-pound native of Welland, Ont., has posted 36 points (23-13=36) and 110 penalty minutes in 134 games over two-plus seasons with the Wild. Clutterbuck was the Wild’s third-round pick (No. 72 overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Chip Scoggins is at practice and will have more later.

The three restricted free agents remaining on the big club is Guillaume Latendresse, Josh Harding and James Sheppard. You can bet they're talking to Latendresse, too.

As for here, Slovakia upset 2006 gold-medal champion Sweden 4-3 last night to advance to play Canada in the semifinals. Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra had big goals for the Slovaks in what likely was the last Olympics for guys like Nicklas Lidstrom and Peter Forsberg.

The US plays Finland at 2 p.m. CT Friday.

Russo Radio will be on KSTP tonight at 8 p.m.

Michael Russo has covered the National Hockey League since 1995. He has covered the Minnesota Wild for the Star Tribune since 2005, after 10 years of covering the Florida Panthers for the Sun-Sentinel. He uses “Russo’s Rants” to feed a wide-ranging hockey-centric discussion with readers, and can be heard weekly on KFAN (100.3 FM) radio and seen weekly on Fox Sports North.